The Limpopo Department of Health intends using money meant for buying medicines for clinics, health centres and hospitals to settle the R14bn medico-legal contingency liabilities incurred since 2015.
The Citizen reports that the department came under siege this year after being grilled during its appearance before Scopa in the Limpopo provincial legislature over its medico-legal contingency liabilities bill. This was after Scopa chair Rodgers Monama ordered the department to develop a turnaround strategy to prevent the bill from escalating.
During her budget vote speech last Tuesday (29 March), Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba said: “While the rise of medical malpractice litigation is a global crisis, as a province, we are worried by the current contingent liability standing at a staggering R14bn. We did a root cause analysis, which includes, among others, lack of adequate staff and equipment, poor attitude and inadequate skills. But we cannot rule out possible collusion between government employees, be it state attorneys or Department of Health, with the plaintiff lawyers and senior counsels.” Ramathuba also said a turnaround strategy had been developed and implemented.
The unit, she said, was now led by a medical specialist who was also an advocate. “It’s high time we look at legislative reform that will see us closing this tap because in this budget I am tabling today, there is no item that talks to the R14bn. This means we must take money meant for patient medicine to settle the bill,” said the MEC.
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